The Way to Gretna Green
by Hobsonfan
Summary: This is the sequel to No Man's Land. Will Robbie and Laura find the way to their Gretna Green wedding?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction, not for profit, purely for fun, story. I do not own these characters, just borrowing them from Lewis.**

 **This is the sequel to** _ **No Man's Land**_ **.**

* * *

"Canada?"

"Yes, Jean. Apparently we have to go through Canada to get to Gretna Green."

"Is it the scenic route?"

"Not exactly."

Jean had called Laura to find out the details of the wedding. She planned to accompany James to Scotland as Mr. Innocent would be indisposed.

"Explain please Laura."

"It all started when Robbie opened an envelope from the Registrar's office in Gretna Green..."

* * *

Laura had arrived home after a long day at work, exhausted and looking forward to a quiet dinner with Robbie, only to find him dumping his second burnt attempt at pasta into the bin. Laura saw the open bottle of wine and poured a glass for each of them. After she was settled onto the sofa, he handed her the letter from Gretna Green.

Robbie watched as Laura read it, first quickly, then studiously slowly the second time. She lifted her head and asked "Did you call and ask what this is about?"

"Yes, they said it involved you and would not give me any information." He could hear the little devil on his shoulder asking if there was something she was keeping from him. Robbie took his hand and knocked the imaginary doubting fiend off.

Laura wrinkled her brow at Robbie. "I worked out that LHOB referred to me. Other than that, I have no idea." It was too late to call the Gretna Green office now. They would have to wait until morning.

* * *

The next afternoon Robbie and James were in their office. Robbie was still trying to wrap his head around the news they got from Laura's call to Gretna Green in the morning. He sent Maddox off on an extended errand. Lizzie wasn't fooled but left them to get on with whatever it was that they did not want her around for.

Robbie fidgeted with the pen in his hands while sporting another in his mouth like a cigarette.

James got right to it. "Trouble in paradise?"

"I'm not sure. Wait, no, I am sure. There is no trouble with us, just some kind of bureaucratic misunderstanding." He took the pen out of his mouth and wrote something on a piece of paper and handed it to James.

 **CA-M3M3-LHOB**

James inspected the paper. "This isn't a chess move. Is it a clue?"

Robbie sighed. "It's a code that explains why Laura is not allowed to get married in Scotland."

"Okay, CA could be Cambridge. This was a form M10 denial so one M is for marriage, I get that. What else does M stand for?" James tried unsuccessfully to push another M word out of his mind.

* * *

Jean listened as Laura finished her incredible story.

"They must have got the wrong 'Laura Hobson'. Jean had complete faith in her Laura Hobson.

"Well, Canada has banned me from marrying and Scotland follows their laws."

"What about England?"

"England and Wales make their own rules."

"Why don't you just get married in England then. There are lovely venues in Oxford for a wedding."

Laura huffed a loud sigh into the phone. "I don't like being mixed up with the wrong Laura Hobson. I am going to clear my name and get married in Gretna Green, at the same place my great-grandmother did when she married her copper."

"So what's the next step?"

"I go to Canada and prove that I am the innocent Laura Hobson."

"I? Isn't Robbie going with you?"

"I did not ask him to come with me."

"Let me guess. He did not ask you if you wanted him to."

"Something like that..."

Jean hung up the phone and banged her head on the desk.

* * *

James looked up a Robbie. "The second M stands for murder, doesn't it?"

"Yes." Robbie sat on the edge of his desk and drummed the pens on it. "I can feel your eyes boring into me head so I might as well tell you the whole story."

"If you insist..." James was on the edge of his chair.

Robbie put the pens down. "There was an English woman called Laura Hobson who moved to Canada. She was married there three times and-"

James cut in, "She murdered all three husbands." Seeing Robbie's acknowledgment of that fact James congratulated himself on being a good detective.

Robbie continued with the story. "The first husband was clubbed to death with a blunt instrument. The second one was poisoned and the third suffered a-"

"Knife through the heart."

Robbie stared at him. "How did you know that?"

James smiled "Lucky guess." He turned serious. "Are you sure that your lovely Laura isn't this Canadian murderess?"

Robbie hopped off the desk angrily. "Of course I'm sure. I doubted her once before. I'll never doubt her again. How dare you suggest that Laura..." Robbie was too upset to finish that sentence.

"Okay, okay, I'm on her side. I just wanted to make sure we both were. What can I do to help? I do have some contacts in the RCMP."

"She has to appear in person at a police station in Ottawa and give DNA evidence and they will clear her passport so she can use it for identification in Scotland that will allow us to marry there."

"Why isn't the Laura Hobson who committed these crimes in prison in Canada?"

"There was a trial for each murder. The first one ended in a hung jury. After the second one, the guilty verdict was overturned due to juror misconduct. The third trial ended with a not guilty verdict. Laura Hobson took the stand and was very convincing, knew more about corpses than the prosecution. All the Canadian government could do was ban her from marrying in Canada again under the Sanctity of Marriage Act, a law usually applied to men marrying multiple wives. Scotland and Australia have reciprocal marriage eligibility with Canada so our request to marry in Gretna Green was denied."

James bobbed his head back and forth weighing all the options. "So why not get married here in Merry Olde England?"

Robbie blinked his eyes then focused on James. "Laura doesn't like being told she can't marry in Scotland. And she's worried that the actions of this other Laura Hobson may cause difficulties in the future. She insists on clearing her name and is going to Canada to do it."

"She's going to Canada? And what are you going to do?"

"I'm...off home."

James resisted the urge to say "Be careful or you will end up with a red hot poker inside your brain by the eye socket."


	2. Chapter 2

Laura sat on an Air Canada jet bound for Montreal's Pierre Elliot Trudeau Airport. The captain announced a delay in take-off due to circumstances beyond their control. The plane was almost full. As luck would have it, one of the few empty seats was next to her. Usually she would be happy to have the extra space. Today she could only wish that Robbie was in that seat by her side. Why hadn't she asked him to go with her? And why hadn't he insisted on coming? Laura closed her eyes and tried to focus on her mission. Upon arrival in Montreal she would take the almost 2 hour train ride to Ottawa where she had already arranged a meeting with an Assistant Crown Attorney. She would give a DNA sample and have her fingerprints taken. After verifying that she was not the notorious Laura Hobson, triple husband killer, they would expunge the marriage restriction from her file.

* * *

Meanwhile Robbie and James were in hot pursuit. Robbie regretted not going with Laura and staying home to work. He was taking it out on James. "Hathaway, you're driving like an old woman."

"It's not my fault you didn't speak up and insist on going to Canada with Laura in the first place."

"I didn't like to ask her."

"And she didn't like to ask you. What else is new?"

* * *

Left back at the station, DS Lizzie Maddox answered a call from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police with a message for her boss. With time to spare while Hathaway and Lewis were out, she started doing some research of her own.

* * *

Laura dozed off for a few minutes and heard the voice of a flight attendant.

"This way Inspector."

In her dream Robbie was rushing up the aisle towards her. She opened her eyes and peered around her seat hoping against hope and saw-

"Hi Laura." A dark haired man climbed into the space next to her.

"Peterson!" She made no attempt to hide the disappointment in her voice as she saw uniformed police officers marching up and down the aisles. "What are you doing here?" Not only was Robbie not joining her, it appeared that the plane was about to become the site of an investigation.

"Oh, just a little check for drugs. We had an anonymous tip." He put his hand on her arm. "I've missed you Laura."

Laura picked up his hand and shoved it back at him. Then she felt guilty. Since transferring to the Met, he might not know about her relationship with Robbie. He may have just been going to tell her what was going on with the delay. "Sorry, I'm a bit rattled Alan. How are you getting on in London?"

"Rather well. As luck would have it, there was a position open when a rather posh Inspector left the force to marry his longtime sergeant." He bent his head to look in her eyes. "I doubt it will work. Workplace romances don't seem to last."

Laura leaned to the far side of her seat keeping her distance. "Oh, I hope there are some exceptions to that rule." One of the officers called to Peterson.

"Keep my seat warm." He got up and went to confer with his colleague.

Unsettled by the delay, Laura closed her eyes trying to block out the scene. She felt rather than heard someone again fill the seat next to her. This time he put his arm on her shoulder. She would have to remind Peterson he was not her type. "Please Alan-

"Alan?"

It only took one word and she flung her arms around his neck. "Robbie! I thought you were-!"

"Alan?"

"Yes, and I was just about to cuff him for putting his arm on my shoulder. Good thing you spoke and I recognized your voice."

Robbie lowered his voice and whispered in her ear, "Laura, that's no way to treat the person responsible for getting me on the plane to go with you to Canada."

"What?"

"Never mind that now." He took her hands in his. "I should have insisted on going with you."

"I didn't like to ask." She shifted in her seat to get closer to him. "I was afraid you might have doubts about my innocence and wanted to clear my name on my own."

"I never doubted you. Sometimes I don't tell you important things. I am going to work on that."

She leaned into him and enjoyed the sensation of him supporting her. "Now that you are here, it looks like we are going to be delayed for some time."

"Then we have time to make up."

After each apologized and committed to improving their communication skills before their wedding, they engaged in a few passionate kisses that attracted the attention of the other passengers. A small child called out to his mother, "Mummy, those people are kissing!" and they broke apart. Robbie got up to speak with Peterson.

Laura watched the two Inspectors shake hands as some of the officers exited the plane. Robbie returned to the once empty seat that was now his.

"He couldn't have got that more wrong. No drugs were found on this plane. Never completely trust tips that are anonymous."

Laura became suspicious and stared at him. Not wanting the other passengers to overhear she whispered in his ear, "Robbie, you didn't..."

He whispered back, "I didn't, Innocent did."

"Why?"

"Because I was a damn fool for letting you go on your own and by the time Jean got through to me and made me see sense, there wasn't much time to get to the airport. With James driving, we might not have made it in time. Peterson hasn't changed, she calls, he jumps, even from London."

"Excuse me a minute." Laura got up out of her seat and caught up with Peterson just as he was about to exit the plane. Facing him, she grabbed his bullet proof vest and pulled him towards her for a more than friendly kiss of appreciation. After a moment's hesitation he made the most of this opportunity. Then Laura put her hands on his shoulders and gently pushed him away.

"Thank-you, Alan."

Peterson was a bit out of breath. "No problem, Laura. Anytime."

Laura returned to her seat. "Too much?"

Robbie grinned. "No, I suppose he earned that." He put his arm around her protectively and pulled her close. "I just hope we never need his help again."

"Now we can start our trip. Maybe it will be fun going to Canada." She outlined her plan to Robbie.

Robbie was a bit worried about Montreal. "They speak French there. It's a good thing I'm going with you."

"Robbie, you don't speak French. You would make a fool of yourself if you tried."

"You don't speak French either so we'll be two fools together."

The flight took off and was uneventful until they were about an hour away from landing in Montreal.

The captain's voice came on the loudspeaker. "Sorry folks, we are going to be making a little detour."

No other information was given. Thirty minutes later the passengers were told to prepare for landing.

Out the window they saw only pine trees until a large landing area appeared and the plane descended. As they taxied to a stop a security vehicle approached the plane.

Rumors were flying up and down the rows of weary travelers. The consensus seemed to be that a dangerous person needed to be removed from the plane. People eyed their neighbors suspiciously. Robbie surveyed the plane trying to spot the threat all the while holding Laura tightly, prepared to shield her from any danger. She wriggled free to try and see what was going on.

Two airport security officers entered the plane, spoke briefly with the captain and one of the flight attendants. All eyes were on them as they made their way down an aisle. They stopped when they met their target.

"Laura Hobson?"

Robbie pulled Laura away from them. "What's this about?"

Laura was aware of the eyes of the other passengers all staring at her again. "I'm Laura Hobson. Is there a problem?"

"If you would come with us ma'am, the rest of the passengers can continue on their way to Montreal. I'll explain inside." The man's nametag said 'Bruce', no title or rank. He offered no introduction of either himself or his colleague. He wore a badge with the initials TSA.

Robbie wasn't willing to go without an argument and started to protest.

Laura put her hand on his arm. "Don't Robbie. Let's just go hear them out and let the rest of these people continue on with their trip." Laura sensed that things were done differently here.

"As long as I can go with her."

"Of course sir."

They grabbed their carryon bags and exited the plane, one officer in front of them and the other following behind. The only clue to their destination was an American flag flying on the grounds. Laura relaxed a bit as she was allowed to walk freely and wasn't treated like a suspect, at least yet.

The Air Canada jet, the lone plane on the ground, prepared to take off and continue on to Montreal without them.

Once seated inside a small office within the only building in this remote airport, the older of the two officers, Bruce, asked Laura for her identification. With one hand she hung onto her passport as she displayed it. He asked her to sign her name on a piece of paper.

After reviewing both the passport and the signature he stated, "You're not her."

"No, I'm not. You've got the wrong Laura Hobson. I was on my way to Canada to prove it."

"Unfortunately Canada has her on a watch list. She, and by association, you, are not allowed to enter the country."

"I have an appointment in Ottawa with a government official to prove my innocence."

"Yes, well it's not illegal for you to be in Canada; you're just not allowed to cross the border."

"That doesn't make any sense."

"My job is to enforce the laws ma'am, not think about how silly they are."

Robbie understood that all too well. This man must be the equivalent of an English sergeant.

The younger officer answered a call on his two way radio. They would learn later that cell phone service could not be relied upon at this airport surrounded by a pine tree forest. "Bruce, we've got to respond to this."

The older man sighed and rubbed his hand on his jaw, obviously weary from overtime. "We're the only two on duty here." He got up and opened the door. "You are free to go."

"Where, how?" Laura looked at Robbie. "We seem to be in some kind of no man's land."


	3. Chapter 3

The younger officer pointed out the door of the office. "See that couple over there by the banner? They might be able to help you."

Robbie and Laura walked over to a large blue banner with the words 'Welcome Home' crocheted onto it in white. Sitting beneath it was an elderly couple at a table with a coffee maker and several boxes.

Unsure of what to say, they stood silently as the man and woman started pouring coffee and opening a box.

"Here you go dear. You look like you need this." She handed Laura a cup of coffee while the man was taking two small chocolate cakes out of a box.

Perplexed, all Laura could say was "thank-you".

Robbie was curious, and hungry. "What are these?"

"Whoopie Pies; the official dessert of the state of Maine." The man was wearing a dark blue baseball style cap with the words 'United States Navy-USS Enterprise-Pacific Theatre' embroidered in gold.

Robbie picked up the offered treat, two pieces of chocolate cake with white frosting in the middle and took a bite. "Mmm, very good."

Laura almost laughed out loud. Here they were stranded God knows where and Robbie was indulging his sweet tooth.

The woman smiled. Men were the same all over the world. "Are you lost? Maybe we can help."

Their names were Howard and Marge, married for more than 60 years. They volunteered for a group called Welcome Home. Marge explained that many of the planes carrying U.S. soldiers returning from active military duty stopped at this airport. Welcome Home was comprised of volunteers who arranged to meet every plane and greet and thank each returning serviceman and woman. They offered coffee, snacks, advice, hugs, and listening ears to the soldiers while they waited for the next leg of their journeys home.

Howard was glad to have someone to talk to. "The plane that was supposed to come today has been delayed in Germany because of bad weather. That's the third time it's happened this month. They've been having crazy weather over across this summer." His eyes displayed a lifetime of experience as he studied Robbie and Laura. "You're nice folks, I can tell."

Before they knew it, Robbie and Laura were sharing coffee and whoopie pies (Robbie's third) with Howard and Marge, telling them the whole story of their upcoming nuptials and Laura's mistaken identity problem.

Howard was a retired government employee having gone right into civil service after his discharge from the navy several decades ago. "It's the same with every government. The right hand doesn't always know what the left hand is doing. He seemed to accept the bizarre circumstance that Laura was allowed to be in Canada but not permitted to enter it. With Marge's help he mapped out a plan for Robbie and Laura.

They would travel to Boston, Massachusetts, the closest American city with a Canadian Consulate General and try to prove Laura's identity there. Howard and Marge gave them a ride to the nearby town of Moose Creek, population 987, where there was one filling station whose owner had a couple of rugged vehicles from a national car rental company. Robbie and Laura weren't the first people to be stranded at the northernmost international airport in the contiguous United States of America. They could return the car at Logan Airport in Boston and fly home from there.

After thanking Howard and Marge for their help and the lunch Marge insisted on packing for them, Robbie and Laura headed south on State Route 161. They drove through the seemingly out of place towns of Stockholm and New Sweden then they came to an intersection with signs indicating the roads to Poland, Paris, Norway, and Sweden (not to be confused with New Sweden). Both sides of the road were lined with acres of green leafy plants in neat hilly rows.

Robbie asked Laura, "What are those?"

She did not need to consult the Maine guide book provided by Marge. "Potatoes, as far as the eye can see."

"I thought they grew potatoes in Idaho."

"According to this book, Idaho produces more potatoes but Maine claims theirs taste better, due to being an ocean bordering state and having natural sea salt in the soil."

"You could get a job in the tourism office, if they have one in the middle of nowhere."

"As we go farther south Robbie, we'll see some actual cities. Portland has a population of 66,000. We should be there in about 5 hours."

"I look forward to getting back to civilization."

" It's nice here Robbie, very peaceful."

"A little too peaceful, if you ask me."

Seemingly out of nowhere a small park appeared and they stopped for a late lunch, enjoying Marge's ham sandwiches and lemonade at a picnic table shaded by pine trees. Laura cautiously entered what looked like an outhouse in a western movie, and was pleasantly surprised to find it clean and smelling like cedar.

They drove on in silence for another hour as the afternoon sun started to fade. They both wondered if Howard's plan was the right one or were they just taking another detour on the way to their wedding. Robbie noticed that Laura had fallen asleep. Soon they would have to find somewhere to stop for the night. All of a sudden Robbie slammed on the brakes and their Subaru Forrester came to a halt on the side of the road.

Laura was jolted awake. "Robbie, what's the matter? Why are we stopping?"

"I thought I saw a body."

"Are you sure it's not a log?"

"Ha Ha, very funny." Robbie got out of the car and stood at the edge of a row of potato plants.

Laura decided he was serious and joined him.

Robbie pointed out towards the horizon. "Look!"

"Okay, I see it."

"Well?"

"You're not on duty here, no reason for you to investigate."

"Maybe not, but you...well isn't there some law that says doctors must help. That chap out there may need medical attention."

"I suspect he needs more than that."

"C'mon then, let's go." He took her hand as they made their way along the hills of potatoes.

As they got closer, details of the object of Robbie's interest came into view, torn jeans, a dangling shoe, a black and gold sports jersey, and on his head, a hockey helmet.

"What the?" Robbie had never seen a body like that before.

"I believe they call them scarecrows, Robbie." Laura was quite amused by Robbie's body that was not a log.

"You knew, didn't you, from the road, that's what this was."

"I had my suspicions."

Robbie looked over the body. "I thought scarecrows were supposed to be wearing flannel shirts and straw hats."

Laura turned to Robbie and reached up to put her arms around his neck. "In Kansas perhaps, not in Maine apparently."

He leaned down to kiss her. Neither heard the approaching footsteps coming up behind them.

"Evening."

The deep voice got their attention. Robbie and Laura broke apart, embarrassed to be observed by a stranger wearing a blue shirt and trousers, the uniform of the Maine State Police. His nametag said 'Wilder'.

Laura observed the officer who stood more than a head taller than Robbie and was built like Angus Rawbone. He had the large calloused hands of a day labourer. Tinted sunglasses, unnecessary with the fading sun, hid his eyes. Robbie noticed the large gun in his holster and no sign of a vehicle or a partner. Backup for this officer must be more than an hour away.

Laura, worried that she was the target of his interest, apologized for their trespassing in the potato field.

"We don't arrest people here for trespassing lady. There's no money in the corrections budget for that. I'm just checking to make sure you are not bothering Bobby."

"Bobby?"

He pointed at the scarecrow. "Yup, Bobby Orr, the greatest hockey defenseman of all time, played 10 seasons for the Boston Bruins."

"You're not looking for Laura Hobson?"

"Nope, should I be?" He surveyed Robbie and Laura and made a few assumptions. "You're not from around here, are you?"

"Who is?" Robbie immediately regretted his flippancy. He introduced himself and Laura and produced his identity card.

"Oxford police, huh?" Still a bit suspicious of the pair, Wilder countered with identification of his own, showing them that he was Lieutenant Jacob Wilder of the Maine State Police, Rural Crimes Unit. "And you are Laura Hobson?" Wilder knew all about the infamous Laura Hobson from Canada.

Laura nodded and produced her passport.

Lt. Wilder asked them to wait while he called to make sure there were not any outstanding warrants on this Laura Hobson. He kept his eye on them as he walked to his marked police cruiser hidden behind their rented Subaru. If they ran, he would know they were guilty of something. Using the two way radio in his car, he called into the dispatch office looking for information. He requested they find a specific person, someone he hoped would know the two of them. It turned out that it is a small world, the one person he knew in England was the perfect source of information.


	4. Chapter 4

After some time Wilder returned to find Laura and Robbie sprucing up the scarecrow.

"Turns out Inspector Lewis, I know a colleague of yours in Oxford who vouched for you, knows that your Dr. Hobson is not the nefarious Laura Hobson." He removed the sunglasses and held out his hand. "Congratulations on your upcoming wedding."

Shaking hands with Wilder, Robbie was puzzled. He couldn't remember a case where James or Jean had liaised with the Maine State police. "That would be Hathaway?"

"Hathawho? Nope, Lizzie."

"Maddox, how on earth do you know her?" Robbie made a mental note to find out more about Lizzie when they returned to Oxford and how she had managed to get information about Laura's identity problem from James.

"Several years ago Lizzie came to stay with my family on one of those school exchange programs. We thought she'd be bored out of her mind up here in the willywacks. She was a real trooper though, didn't mind getting her hands dirty in the garden and learned to get along without cable television. She asked lots of questions about being a police officer. I like to think I had a hand in getting her interested."

"Do you keep in touch?"

"Oh sure, not as much as we'd like though. She's promised to come back and bring her husband Tony to meet us. And who knows, maybe someday my wife and I will cross the pond and visit Oxford."

Laura was afraid the two of them would yak all night and she was very tired. "Lt. Wilder, it's getting late. If we are free to go, Robbie and I need to get on our way and find someplace to stay the night."

"Sorry, I can't let you do that."

"What?"

"You're coming home with me. My wife would never forgive me if I didn't look after Lizzie's friends."

"That's very kind of you but not necessary."

"Dr. Hobson, you miss a lot in life if you only do what's necessary. Besides you'd be doing us a favor. We have so many potatoes in the garden this year we need help eating them."

The mention of food helped Robbie decide. "C'mon Laura, you're tired and I'm hungry, let's take Lt. Wilder up on his offer."

"My friends call me Jake. I'll lead the way."

Robbie and Laura followed their new friend Jake, holding hands, no longer feeling self-conscious in his presence.

Jake got in his police cruiser and led Robbie and Laura further along State Route 161, then made a series of turns, each time the road getting narrower until the last one where the pavement changed to dirt, then as a house came into view, the dirt was replaced by white stone. Jake parked outside the garage and waved Robbie over to a spot that wouldn't block the cruiser.

"It's not much but it's home. The house, a log cabin that looked both charming and rustic, stood before them. "My wife, Melissa, is working until midnight at the hospital an hour away. She's a nurse. I've been listening to orders from her on our drive here."

The orders included a tour of the property for their guests with a look at the loft Lizzie slept in when she stayed with them and an inspection of the garden. Jake cooked venison steaks and baked potatoes on the outside grill. He explained that deer hunting was necessary to keep the size of the herd down, otherwise large numbers of deer would die of starvation in the winter. Because of this Maine boasted a herd of very healthy and robust deer.

Robbie was enjoying the meal which ended with the blueberry pie Melissa had baked before she went to work. Jake told them about his two sons, both away at college, one studying criminal justice, the other marine biology.

Laura helped Jake clear away the table while Robbie went to the car to get their bags. They would have to make do with what was carried on the plane. For all they knew their suitcases were in Montreal right now. "Sorry Jake."

"For what?"

"For being a bit rude earlier. Thank-you for your hospitality."

"Not a problem. This probably wasn't the day you had planned."

She laughed. "No, they usually involve dead bodies and holes in the ground instead of scarecrows in fields."

Robbie came in with their bags and Jake showed them to a small room decorated in Red and Blue sports memorabilia from the Boston Red Sox. "This room has a double bed. My other son's room has bunk beds and a Boston Bruins theme. I figured you'd prefer the larger bed."

"Thanks." Robbie was happy not to have to sleep with reminders of Bobby the scarecrow.

"When you are settled, come on in the living room and we can discuss your plans."

After Jake left them alone, Robbie took Laura's hand and led her over to the bed. He sat and pulled her onto his lap. She closed her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder. "You okay, Laura? This wasn't the trip you expected."

She opened her eyes and fingered the buttons on Robbie's shirt. "Yes, as long as we're together, I'll always be okay."

"What about our missing luggage? Are there things you need?"

"Jake said there's one of those American super stores not too far away. Tomorrow we can go shopping before we get on our way." She slowly stood up and took his hand. "Let's go see what Jake wants to discuss then we can go to bed."

Jake had opened some road maps and laid them on the coffee table. Robbie and Laura joined him on the sofa to study them.

"Instead of going to Boston, I have a better idea to get you into Canada."

They listened to Jake's plan. Uppermost in Robbie's mind were two things, was it safe and was it legal? Could they really trust this man? Jake marked out a route on the map that had them heading south and then west, with an overnight stop at his brother's house. Robbie would have liked to try calling Maddox to find out more about Jake, but even if their prepaid phone Laura got for the trip worked, Lizzie would surely be asleep due to the time difference. Instead Robbie got Jake talking.

Laura knew what Robbie was doing, getting Jake to tell him about Lizzie, making sure he really did know her as well as he said he did. She could tell that Jake knew what Robbie was on about. It takes a copper to know a copper. Finally Jake emptied the bag and disclosed Lizzie's birthday, her love of pork scratchings, and her allergy to kiwi fruit. That was enough for Robbie. Jake's plan was likely to be faster than going through all the red tape at the Canadian Consulate in Boston so they agreed to it. Howard had been retired for 25 years; things had changed and become even more cumbersome at government offices.

Laura started to make apologies for them to head off to bed as Jake answered a call from his wife. He held up his hand asking them to wait a minute.

"Are you two up for a little detour tomorrow? Melissa and I are going to our favorite place on earth. It's really something to see. It's an ideal spot for couples and she wants you to join us to make up for her not being home tonight. She's checked the weather forecast and it should be a perfect morning for it."

Curious, Laura wanted to know more and found she fancied the idea.

Later after they were lying in bed trying to avoid looking at a neon poster of the Boston Red Sox mascot, Wally the Green Monster, they discussed the side trip they agreed to.

"Robbie, we'll probably never have another chance to go there, we might as well do something that makes this trip feel like a holiday."

"I wouldn't mind so much if we didn't have to get up at 3 AM."

"Jake says timing is everything if you want to get the full 'wicked awesome' experience."

"When he said it was at the top of a mountain I was a bit worried until he said we could drive up."

"And then he offered us a ride." Laura tried to stifle a giggle.

Robbie pulled her closer. "As long as we ride together."


	5. Chapter 5

3 AM came early. Melissa Wilder prepared coffee in travel mugs for each of them. They climbed in her Subaru Outback with Jake behind the wheel. Melissa offered Robbie the front seat and he said no, he would sit in the back with Laura.

It was a two hour drive. Laura asked Melissa about the hospital where she worked and they talked shop for awhile while Jake drove and Robbie munched on blueberry muffins with his coffee. They slowly descended toward the seacoast crossing over a causeway to Mt. Dessert Island. It was still dark as they entered Acadia National Park. They wound their way through the park loop road then caught up with a line of cars making the turn onto Cadillac Summit Road. Still under the cover of darkness, Jake drove them up the 3.5 mile road coming to a stop at a parking area on top of Cadillac mountain, the highest point on the North Atlantic coast.

They got out of the car and Robbie took Laura's hand as they followed Jake and Melissa down a short path and across some large boulders.

Melissa stopped and they nearly collided with her. "This is a good spot." The four of them sat on the flat surface still cool from the night air.

Robbie and Laura were happy for the loaned sweatshirts, Robbie engulfed in Jake's triple extra large Boston Celtics green hoodie while Laura was happily ensconced in one of Melissa's LLBean fleece pullovers.

Dozens of other couples did the same, sat quietly across the landscape each claiming a rock for their own temporary viewing site. Some sipped hot coffee or tea. Many wrapped their arms around each other, not just for warmth.

After days of stress Laura now was exhilarated. Being on top of a mountain perched at the edge of a continent with the man she loved made her heart swell and her mind free. At this height the darkness was welcoming. She recalled one of her earliest memories, that of her father lifting her up above his head and she felt like she was on top of the world. She snuggled closer to Robbie to wait for the dawn of a new day. Robbie gently rested his head on hers.

Then it happened. The sky quickly changed from black to purple.

Jake didn't take his eyes off the sky or his arms off his wife and whispered, "Here it comes".

A glowing orange semi circle drifted up above the horizon as the gazers all gasped with the beauty of the moment. Seconds later it permeated the now blue sky and assumed the complete roundness most associate with the shape of the sun. Jake and Melissa had seen it many times before and never got tired of it.

Laura felt Robbie move. "How can you take your eyes off that sight. I can't get enough of it."

Robbie brushed his lips against her ear. "It's beautiful but not as beautiful as you."

Laura forgot about the sunrise and turned to see Robbie kneeling on the hard surface. She resisted the urge to tell him to mind his knees.

Robbie took both of her hands in his. "This is where I was meant to do this." There was enough light now for him to gaze into her eyes and see them sparkle with excitement. "Laura Hobson, I'll follow you anywhere, to the ends of the earth if I have to. Wherever you go, I want to be with you. Will you marry me?"

Until now, Laura had insisted that the actual proposal did not matter. After years of restraining her emotions, of not allowing herself to indulge in romanticism, she risked a trip into the unknown and couldn't have been happier. "Robbie, I would be honoured to be your wife." Then doubt crept in. "If you're sure, about me."

"Laura, I've always been sure, just not clear." He nodded up at the sky. "This place turns darkness into light; it's what you have done for me. I just hope you still fancy it."

"I'll always fancy it, and you. I'm warning you though, some days it might be a bumpy ride. You never know where we might end up."

"Doesn't matter, New Sweden, Old Sweden, Any Sweden, as long as we are together."

Robbie tilted his head up intending to kiss her when his kneecap scraped the rock and he cried out in pain. Laura quickly put her hands around his hips and pulled him onto her lap, cradling him. Robbie squirmed to move off her, sure that he was crushing her.

"It's okay Robbie. I've wrestled with corpses heavier and less obliging than you." He allowed himself to relax into her for a moment then gingerly and methodically reversed their positions.

They didn't bother to see if anyone was watching them as their lips met.

"Morning!"

They looked up to see a park ranger standing on a small outcropping addressing the group.

"There's a Nor'easter moving in. I recommend everyone take cover."

Laura could see Jake and Melissa getting up quickly. "What's a Nor'easter?"

Robbie looked around. "Some kind of yeti?"

Melissa laughed. "No, it's a coastal storm, the Maine variety. They are often unpredictable and come out of nowhere. It wasn't in today's forecast."

Jake laughed. "Yup, we're about to get breezed up." Just then the wind picked up and would have knocked Melissa over if Jake hadn't been anchoring her. Robbie tightened his hold on Laura.

The sky darkened and the blazing sun of just a few minutes ago was no longer visible. Rain started to pelt down on them. A few of the spectators lingered hoping for a few more moments of the golden glow but they soon joined all the others who headed back to their cars.

On the slow ride back down the mountain Robbie and Laura could see that the road was lined by steep cliffs. Later in the day, after the storm, the sun would shine down in full force on Frenchman Bay at the bottom of the mountain. In the backseat of the Outback, buckled into the end seats, knowing that Lt. Jacob Wilder of the Maine State Police would insist all passengers be properly restrained, Robbie and Laura let their hands lightly meet in the smaller empty middle seat between them.

Melissa turned around. "Well, was it worth getting up at 3 AM?"

It was worth it.

As he drove, Jake was spewing out facts about Cadillac Mountain. "It's the highest elevation on the North Atlantic coast and the first place in the US where you can see the sun rise."

Melissa was aware that Robbie and Laura did more than watch the spectacular sun rise up there. "How about we pick up some live lobsters and have a celebratory dinner tonight? I can catch a few hours sleep while Jake takes you shopping to replace your missing luggage."

Much as Laura wanted to get on their way, the idea of a celebration with their new friends was most welcome. She squeezed Robbie's hand. He caught her eye. She nodded and told Melissa, "That sounds lovely."

They stopped at a small market just over the causeway to buy 8 lobsters. Robbie went in with Jake and Laura watched him from the window as he fished some change out of his pocket, then he momentarily disappeared from view. Farther inland they stopped at a farmstand to buy some fresh corn.

With the lobsters stored in the Wilder family refrigerator, Melissa got some sleep while Jake took Robbie and Laura to the large discount supercenter. They wondered where all these shoppers came from in such a rural area. Jake explained that it was the only place to shop for miles. Laura quickly selected some basic clothing and personal items for both of them, carefully avoiding any with black and gold designs. She did get a Wally the Green Monster cuddly toy for Jack and a baseball style cap for Robbie with the phrase 'Maine is for Lovers' embroidered on the front.

Laura found that their phone worked in the store's parking area so before they left she called the police station in Ottawa to let them know her travel plans had been disrupted and she was trying an alternate route.

On the way back to the Wilder home, Robbie, sporting his new hat told Jake, "Thanks for giving up your day off to help us."

"My pleasure. It started out as a favor for Lizzie. It's more than that now."

After their dinner of boiled lobster and corn of the cob, Robbie and Laura helped with the dishes then made their apologies for an early night knowing Jake and Melissa both had to work the next day and they themselves had a long ride ahead.

Alone in what Robbie now called the 'Red Sox fever' room, they undressed for bed. Robbie put on the new pajamas Laura got for him while she requested he shield his eyes for a minute. When he opened them Laura stood in front of him in a blue T-shirt that fell just below the curve of her bottom. In red print was the phrase, 'Will Trade Husband For Lobster Boat'.

Robbie let his eyes roam up and down Laura's shirt then fixed her with a gaze. "Maybe this will change your mind." He put his hand in the pocket of the jeans he was wearing that day and pulled something out. "Let's see if it fits." Taking her hand, he placed a plastic red ring on the place where her wedding ring would eventually rest. "I know you said you didn't want an engagement ring and I promised not to argue with you about it."

"It's perfect Robbie. Every time I look at it I'll remember today."

"I got it from a machine in the market while Jake bought the lobsters. I offered to pay for them and he wouldn't hear of it so while I waited this caught my eye. I didn't have a choice of colors mind so I hope you like red. It cost one American quarter."

"I love red. I love you."

He wrapped his arms around her. "I should have said that earlier, when I proposed. I meant to, I was a bit nervous."

"You can say it now Robbie."


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning Robbie picked the blue T-shirt up off the floor. He folded it neatly and stowed it in the new duffel bag that would be their suitcase for the rest of the trip. Melissa cooked bacon and eggs wanting to send Robbie and Laura off on their trip with a good breakfast and her husband well fed for another day policing rural Maine.

Having said their good-byes and thank-yous, they got back in the Forrester. Robbie had his window open. Jake bent down to lean in the car and told them, "Now don't mind my brother, he's a bit rough around the edges." Jake's face turned solemn for a moment. "We may be twins but life has been more kind to me than him." He added a warning. "Whatever you do, don't call him 'Tommy'. He's strictly Thomas."

They headed southwest across the state of Maine seeing mostly pine trees and an occasional small town. They met very few cars until they turned right onto US Route 2. There the traffic picked up a bit but was not anything like what they were used to at home. It was difficult to find radio stations along the way and there were long stretches with dead air. Robbie filled the void by humming a football team fight song while Laura contributed with a ballad from her days as an undergraduate at Oxford.

They drove through Peru and West Peru, then stopped for a late lunch at a Thai restaurant in Mexico (there were no Mexican restaurants). Soon after they crossed the border into New Hampshire, greeted with the sign, 'Welcome to New Hampshire, Live Free or Die'.

Robbie shook his head, "That sounds a bit harsh."

Laura turned around to read the back side of sign, 'Welcome to Maine, America's Vacationland', with some regret. Maine would always be a special place for them. Almost immediately upon crossing the border, they saw the landscape change. Gone were the pine trees, replaced with rock, mostly granite. The car was not equipped with a GPS. Howard had told them that northerners didn't use them, that a good map and a sense of direction were all you needed.

Somehow their sense of direction took them on a little detour south and to the Kancamagus 'fearless one' Highway, the scenic route. Realizing they were off course the only thing to do was to take in the spectacle of the White Mountain National Forest, stopping to visit the Old Man of the Mountain. Laura stared at the naturally chiseled features of the stone man who loomed 1,200 feet above them on the side of a mountain. Secretly she observed that his profile resembled that of a certain inspector, perhaps with a bit of Abraham Lincoln thrown in. There was a small shop where Laura bought a polished piece of New Hampshire granite for Jack, another T-shirt for herself, and a hat for Robbie. The hat had the profile of the Old Man of Mountain and Laura paid the extra $2.00 and waited 45 seconds for Robbie's name to be embroidered underneath it.

Getting back on the right road took them through the town of Bethlehem and both agreed to tell James about their brief pilgrimage. Robbie asked if there was a Manchester in New Hampshire. Laura consulted Howard's map and located Manchester, too far south for them to visit on this trip. Lisbon and New London would also be missed. They headed north on Route 3, stopped at a roadside stand for some all-American hot dogs (Robbie was hungry again), then left civilization behind as they followed Jake's directions to his brother's house.

On the last road to Beaver Brook, a Police cruiser passed them. They followed it the rest of the way to the home of Lt. Thomas Wilder of the New Hampshire State Police. This Lt. Wilder, in a uniform of dark green shirt and khaki pants appeared to be a carbon copy of his brother. He leaned on his car as Robbie and Laura got out of theirs. Robbie walked over and extended a hand while they introduced themselves.

"I know who you are Inspector Lewis." He ignored the hand and nodded at Laura. "Dr. Hobson."

Upon closer inspection Robbie and Laura could see that this man, Thomas, the twin, while physically identical to Jake, had creases of worry and anxiety in his face rather than his brother's genial expression. When he removed the dark sunglasses instead of the sincere clear blue eyes they met in Maine, the dark blue eyes now staring at them were cold and joyless.

With as few words as possible, Thomas Wilder showed them to their accommodations for the night, a large camping trailer. He gave them a brief tour, it was really a shrunken version of a home, and explained how he had it hooked up to electricity and water taking them back outside to show Robbie how to switch the propane hot water tank. He gruffly wished them a good night and a safe journey the next day and walked down a gravel path to another trailer, a double wide manufactured home.

He disappeared so quickly that Robbie and Laura didn't even have time to protest that perhaps they were a burden and could go to a hotel, that is if one could be found. Thomas knew he had put them off and turned around, "I insist you stay here, professional courtesy." He kept on walking.

"Laura, are you okay with this?" Robbie waved his arm toward the camper. Darkness was settling in and they guessed the nearest motel was at least an hour away.

"It's okay. Jake said not to be put off by his brother." She watched Thomas Wilder enter his home. "Robbie, there's something not right with him. He's carrying a heavy burden."

"Yeah, life hasn't been kind to him."

As they unpacked the car a woman came out of the Wilder home and walked towards a van parked near them. Thinking she might be Mrs. Thomas Wilder (they had both noticed his wedding ring) they started to introduce themselves. It turned out that Ramona Garcia was a nurse, not Mrs. Wilder. Lt. Wilder had asked her to explain the situation to Robbie and Laura.

Another car pulled into the dooryard, what northerners call a driveway. A man exited the car, waved to Ramona Garcia and entered the house. "He's the night aide for Mrs. Wilder, Beverly. I'm one of the second shift nurses."

Ten years ago Beverly Wilder and her daughter Emma had gone on a shopping trip to Montreal. While crossing a busy street, using the crosswalk after getting a green light, they were the victims of a speeding hit and run driver. Emma was killed instantly while Beverly was left in a coma. Thomas Wilder insisted his wife be cared for at home. He sold his larger house down the road, keeping a small piece of land for the double wide. Every penny he had was spent on Beverly's care. With health insurance from his job covering some services and a legion of local volunteers, he had persevered in keeping her at home. Every night he read aloud to her from one of her favorite books, usually an English whodunit. Other than work, Thomas Wilder had no time for anything or anyone else.

Laura touched Robbie's shoulder and brought him out of his shock. They stood silently for a few minutes watching the tail lights of the nurse's van disappear down the road. Then Robbie put his hand on the small of Laura's back and guided her into their home for the night.

* * *

"Val wouldn't have wanted that."

Robbie and Laura were lying side by side on top of the bed in the camper, not having bothered to get undressed. Their sides touched lightly.

"Robbie, I wouldn't have wanted that for her, nor the life Thomas is living, for you." She stared at the ceiling blinking back tears.

"Yeah, and he lost his daughter too, his only child."

"Thank God Lyn wasn't with Val when she-"

They turned to hold each other and were still holding on tight when the sun rose the next morning in Northern New Hampshire.

* * *

Back in Maine, Jake Wilder told his wife that he hoped Lizzie was right, that his brother needed to meet Robbie and Laura.

* * *

 **A/N: Sadly, the five ledges of rock that comprised New Hampshire's 40 foot by 25 foot Old Man of the Mountain collapsed to the ground on May 3, 2003. Only in fiction will anyone get to see him in person again.**


	7. Chapter 7

In the camper was a list of instructions for using the shower, stove and other important information. Later they would learn the volunteers who came to care for Beverly Wilder often stayed there between shifts rather then drive home. Laura had no trouble in the small shower but Robbie was a bit tall for it and couldn't quite stand up completely.

The kitchen was stocked with bagels for breakfast and there were several varieties of coffee and tea pods for the single cup brewing machine. Not being very hungry they shared a bagel with some homemade blackberry jam. They cleaned up the small kitchen, straightened the quilt on the bed they slept on top of, and packed up their few belongings.

Robbie looked out the small bedroom window."Good, Wilder's cruiser is still there. We'll want to say goodbye. I'd like to say more to him, I just don't know how."

Laura came up beside him and leaned her head on his shoulder. "You'll figure it out; you're good at that Robbie."

They stepped outside to be greeted by an unusually warm morning. Another car had arrived since they had gone in last night and a young woman was leaning against it smoking a cigarette. At the sound of the camper door opening, she quickly put it out. "Good morning, you must be the Brits. I'm here to clean, first the camper, then the house for Mr. Wilder."

Laura told her their names and said they tried not to leave any mess.

"Mr. Wilder likes it to be nice for the volunteers who stay there." She stuck out her hand. "I'm Dahlia. Emma, his daughter, was my friend." She could tell from their expressions that they knew. "My mom helps with Mrs. Wilder but I, well I can't handle all that medical stuff so I clean instead." She looked over her shoulder. "Don't tell Mr. Wilder about the cigarette. He still thinks of me as Emma's ten year old pal."

Laura assured her, "No worries there. We were wondering what to say to him before we left."

Dahlia knew what she meant. "He was such a nice guy, you couldn't have asked for a better dad. Since the accident he well, he isn't the same. Today is not going to be a good day. The nurse had to cancel and there aren't any volunteers scheduled until this afternoon. I suppose I..."

Laura looked at Robbie. "Maybe we could stay an extra day and help out."

"Yes, we could." He saw relief on Dahlia's face. "Laura's a doctor and I can see if there is anything for me to do."

"Oh, that would be great. He needs his job to afford care and for the health insurance. He's always running out of leave even with some of the others donating their days to him."

Laura started toward the house. "I'll go and offer my services."

Dahlia caught up with her. "He might take it better if I go with you."

Robbie returned to the camper with their duffel bag. When he came back out he tried again to call Lyn and couldn't get a signal. The last time he got through to her was when they stopped for lunch in Mexico, Maine.

Dahlia came out of the house with a bucket full of cleaning supplies and headed for the camper. She saw Robbie trying the phone. "You'll have to go climb up that hill over there to get service." She pointed to a green mound that rose above the surrounding rock. "It's not that long of a walk and it works." She grinned. "It's the price you pay for living up here in the boonies." Then her smile faded. " I always wanted to move to one of the big cities until...well you know." Dahlia kicked at some small stones with her shoe then went in the camper.

Robbie started off on his walk. As promised, on top of the hill he was able to get Lyn and after that James and Lizzie. He told them as much as he could about their trip. Lyn was especially pleased that her father presented Laura with a proper marriage proposal.

Robbie hiked back to the camper in time to see a horse and buggy stop near the house. A young woman wearing a long dark dress got out and hitched the horse to a post seemingly there for that specific purpose. She unloaded a box out of the buggy. Robbie went and offered to help. "Thank-you", she said in a gentle voice that had the traces of a German accent. She gave Robbie the first box and got out another one for herself. Silently they each carried their load to the house. There, just inside the door and to the right stood a large upright freezer where they emptied and stored the containers from the boxes. Then Robbie followed her back to the buggy where she took out a smaller box destined for the freezer compartment in the camper. The girl left the box in Robbie's hands and got back in the buggy and drove away.

Inside the camper, Dahlia showed Robbie how to efficiently store the containers in the freezer. "That's Sadie, from the Amish community. They keep Mr. Wilder supplied with home cooked food. His favorite is chicken pot pie." She inspected each container as she put it away. "They make some smaller ones to fit in the camper. And there's always shoo fly pie." She saw Robbie's puzzlement. "If you like sweet things and molasses you'll love it."

Robbie wasn't sure Laura would approve of him eating more sweets after all the whoopie pies he consumed in Maine. "I'll have to try it." Recalling how he struggled to help the young woman who really must have been just a teenager, "I can't believe that wee lass could lift such heavy boxes."

"That's nothing. She may be skinnier than a rail fence but she can lift 100 pound bales of hay and push around 1,200 pound animals. Those Amish girls are strong."

"I thought the Amish lived in Pennsylvania."

"They started out there a couple hundred years ago. They've grown so much they had to spread out. A group came here some years back to get away from cities and tourists. They can keep to themselves here."

"I wasn't sure if I should talk to her, if they talk to strangers. Sadie seemed rather shy."

"Yes, she is but they are not all like that. They have different personalities just like us." She laughed. "If it was her sister Katie who came here today, she'd talk your ear off. One thing they all believe in is helping out those in need. Even though they are leery of people who work for the government and generally avoid cops, when they found out about Mr. Wilder they wanted to help. They really believe in all that 'love thy neighbor' stuff. We all do around here."

Dahlia left to go and get ready for her job at a furniture factory. Robbie heated one of the small chicken pot pies in the camper's microwave and found it to his liking. Then he went outside to see if there was something he could do to help.

On his return walk from telephone hill he had noticed a pile of split wood behind the house. Some of it had been stacked into neat rows. Robbie, keeping to the symmetry of the woodpile, took care of the rest. He stepped back to admire his work then decided that one hour of labor earned him a piece of shoo fly pie. Not surprisingly Robbie enjoyed the sweet gooey treat, wishing there was some ice cream to go with it. Dahlia said that Laura's replacement would come at 4 o'clock so he still had an hour to fill.

He turned on the television set in the camper. The large satellite dish on the roof was successful in providing several channels. Robbie checked to see what American television had to offer in the afternoon and rejected shows called 'Wives With Knives' and 'I Married a Serial Killer', settling for a Boston Red Sox baseball game with the New York Yankees. Not long into the game, he fell asleep.

Robbie woke to see Laura wrapping up the rest of the pie and storing it in the refrigerator. "How was it?"

She knew what he meant. "It was all right, really not much to do." Laura inspected the remains of the shoo fly pie. "I may have to try this." She sat down next to Robbie on the small sofa in the camper. "I know why Jake said not call him 'Tommy'. It's what his wife called him; I saw it on cards she gave him ages back." She saw Robbie's expression. "I wasn't snooping Robbie. I found them on top of the medical records." She sighed. "There was no hope of recovery ten years ago, now..."

They snuggled together and 'watched' the rest of the baseball game. A light knock on the door woke them up.

Thomas Wilder had picked up pizza and beer on his way home from work and asked them to join him. They sat outside at a table on his back porch. The two cops talked shop a bit then a silence hung in the air. Laura picked up the paper plates and pizza boxes and said she was going to take a walk out to the hill and make some phone calls. Both men stood up until she was out of sight. Then they sat and Robbie talked to Thomas, about Val, and Laura.

* * *

Laura called her brother to let him know she hadn't made it to Canada yet, then the neighbor who was taking care of their animals. In his hurry to leave Oxford Robbie left it to James to bring the cat and dog down the road to their neighbor's house. When Laura got through to them she was told that Osborn was having a good time visiting his friend Donald and Monty was pretending to be miffed in order to get extra treats.

* * *

A few hours later Laura was in the camper getting organized for their departure the next day. Robbie came in and slumped down onto the sofa. Laura sat down next to him. "What did you say to him?"

"I told him about Val, how I handled or rather didn't handle grief, until I was able to let go, and move on." He reached over and touched her check. "Well, I may have gone into too much detail but he has that investigator's skill of getting you to open up. I fell for it."

Laura covered his hand with hers. "I'm sure it was helpful."

"Yeah, he really seemed to want to hear my story."

"You have a better idea than most what he is going through." She rubbed his thigh. "Is this reminder of Val too painful for you?"

Robbie put his hands behind his head and leaned back. "No, it's not so much a reminder of Val as what can happen when the right person stands by you after a tragedy." Robbie sat up and pulled her into a hug. After a minute he whispered in her ear. "Are you going to show me the T-shirt you bought yesterday? I didn't get to see it last night."

"I was hoping you would ask." She went behind the curtain into the camper's bedroom and returned wearing her souvenir T-shirt from New Hampshire. It said 'Will Trade Husband For The Old Man Of The Mountain'.

* * *

That same day, back in Oxford DI Hathaway renewed his acquaintance with members of the RCMP while DI Maddox continued her research, taking advantage of the moments her boss went outside for a cigarette.

* * *

In the morning Robbie and Laura were all packed and ready to go when Thomas Wilder came to say good bye. "Thank-you, both of you." The tears in his eyes and the softening of his face added to his words. He walked them to their car, opening the passenger side door for Laura. Before closing it, he leaned in to tell both of them, "I had a talk with Bev last night. I told her if it's what she wants, I would let her go." He shut the door and walked past the two vehicles belonging to that day's care givers and on to his police cruiser to start his work day.


	8. Chapter 8

Robbie and Laura followed the New Hampshire State Police cruiser until they reached Route 3 and Lt Thomas Wilder sent them off with a blast of his siren. Soon they drove over the Connecticut River bridge trading the White Mountains of New Hampshire for the Green Mountains of Vermont. There they saw a sign pointing north that said 'Canada 2'. Whether that was miles or kilometers, they were so close. Regretfully they had to bypass the route directly to Canada and keep going. The next intersection had directional signs for Moscow, Cambridge, Florence, and Jamaica. Again they felt like they were on a magical mystery tour.

Route 114 in Vermont narrowed considerably as they continued and there were several forks in the road that made it difficult to stay on track and follow Jake's directions. They found themselves on a dead end that landed them in front of barn. After Robbie turned the car around, Laura spied a farmer leaning against his tractor. "Let's ask him for directions back to Route 114." Robbie kept driving slowly. "Robbie, if you don't ask, I will."

He saw that she meant it and drove up near the farmer and stopped. Robbie got out to ask to the man how to get to Eden Falls.

"Ya can't get thar from har."

"Sorry?" Robbie had trouble understanding the man's accent.

The farmer took a stick and starting drawing a map in the dirt in front of his feet. Robbie was so engrossed in trying to understand him, the sound of another car and then footsteps went unnoticed.

"Now Fred, you know darn well if you send him that way, they'll end up in the Viola Landfill."

"Aw, Jenny, I didn't mean nothin' by it. I 'ud told him the right way."

"Can I be of assistance sir?"

After meeting Jacob and Thomas Wilder, it was quite a surprise to see Corporal Jennifer Galloway of the Vermont State Police. She was the same size as Laura and in her uniform of khaki shirt and dark green pants looked every bit as capable an officer as each of the Wilder brothers.

Robbie told her they were looking for the home of Jesse Wilder in Eden Falls.

"I know Jesse well. He's the county Sheriff." She took a small notepad out of her pocket and wrote down the directions. By this time Laura had got out of the car and joined them. It's a good thing she did as Robbie's eyes glazed over while Cpl. Galloway explained how to avoid the Viola Landfill and get back on their way so Laura made sure she was paying attention.

An alarm sounded. Cpl. Galloway pushed a button on her belt to silence it. "That'll be my partner, Sgt. Maxwell. If you'll follow me to my car, I have a local map that should help keep you from taking any not so scenic detours."

Fred climbed up onto his tractor as Robbie and Laura followed Cpl. Galloway to her green police cruiser. There Sgt. Maxwell was hanging his head out of the open window.

"On hot days I leave him in the car with the air conditioning on. If it shuts down for any reason, the windows automatically go down and I get paged. We've had three days in a row where it got up to 90 degrees. That's an official heat wave around here."

Robbie had expected to introduce himself to Sgt. Maxwell. Instead he and Laura stood still, knowing that you did not treat a working police dog like a pet. Cpl. Galloway let Max observe the strangers and told him they were friends. She reached into the open window and took a map from the seat and handed it to Laura. "Here, I'll mark where you are now and draw a line to Sheriff Wilder's house. It's not far."

They thanked her and got back on their way. Robbie had the upmost respect for female police officers. As Jennifer Galloway looked to be about the same age as his daughter, he was happy that she had Sgt. Maxwell for a partner. After following her map, it wasn't long before they passed a sign that said 'Welcome to Eden Falls, God's Country'.

Robbie muttered, "Just what I need, a bunch of God botherers."

"Be nice, Robbie."

Once they got to Sheriff Wilder's house, things were going to happen quickly. He would drive them to the one remaining unmanned station on the US and Canadian border, the longest friendliest border between any two countries in the world. A surveillance camera would film them as they walked across the border. The tape would be reviewed within 24 hours at which time Laura should have already made it to the train station in Montreal after being picked up by Sheriff Wilder's brother-in-law, a Canadian Gendarme. By the time the border patrol viewed the footage Laura would have proven herself to be the right Laura Hobson, making the crossing into Canada legal.

When Jake first explained the plan Robbie wasn't 100% convinced that it was completely legal. He usually was a by the book policeman. He now understood those times when Morse ignored rules and went his own way. If this was the way to Gretna Green with Laura, he would go along with it. For her part, Laura was so annoyed by being mixed up with the wrong Laura Hobson, she would have agreed to almost anything, short of murder.

Jake had told them there used to be many border stations like this until 9/11/2001. After that tragic day the United States government mandated that all border security checkpoints be manned and follow stricter regulations. The new policy was phased in one location at a time until the lone camera-only site remaining was located in the county policed by Sheriff Jesse Wilder. It was widely known in law enforcement circles that Sheriff Wilder knew everything and everyone under his jurisdiction and his part of the border was more secure than anywhere else.

Cpl. Galloway's directions led them easily to the home of Jesse and Cherie Wilder. A white Sheriff's car was parked in the driveway. They got out of the Forrester at the same time a man came out on the front porch.

"Inspector Lewis, Dr. Hobson, welcome. I expected you earlier. I hope you didn't have any trouble finding us." Jesse Wilder was a smaller version of his cousins Jacob and Thomas, and about 10 years older. "We need to have a quick meeting. There has been a change of plans."

Robbie and Laura sat at the kitchen table with Jesse and Cherie Wilder sharing apple cider and some seriously sharp cheddar cheese. Sheriff Wilder told them that yesterday morning two dangerous inmates escaped from a federal prison in the next state. Officials expected that they would try to enter Canada, therefore a roadblock had been hastily set up about a half mile from the unmanned border crossing.

Robbie looked at the map spread out on the table showing the location of the prison. "There's a large lake between the prison and here. Why would they expect them to be in this area?"

Jesse crossed his arms over his chest. "Because those darn fools over there at the federal prison fell for decoys on the bed checks and they got a 10 hour head start. There are lots of ways to get across the lake, ferries, small boats, island hopping, and even swimming."

Cherie Wilder patted her husband's arm. "Jesse's never had an escape from the county jail."

"Neither did my father or grandfather when they were sheriff." He put his hands on the table. "Instead of taking the road to the border, you'll have take the scenic route." Using his finger, he traced their new itinerary.

Robbie saw what was underneath his finger. "Something tells me we're not going to be able to drive there."

Jesse Wilder cocked his eye at Robbie. "That must be why they made you an Inspector." He let out a guffaw. "C'mon, then, you best get going. Follow me."

After a hasty goodbye to Cherie Wilder, they followed the Sheriff as he led them to the back of his property and a steep bank. Robbie took Laura's hand and led her down the hill coming to a stop at the bottom.

Jesse Wilder waved his arm North. "The Eden River will take you to the unmanned border crossing to Canada, avoiding the roadblock." Then he pointed at a vessel of questionable seaworthiness. He saw their looks of horror. "Whatsa matter? You never seen a canoe before? It'll float."

Sheriff Wilder would be allowed to drive through the road block and meet them at the border crossing with their belongings. Robbie wasn't sure he trusted their identification with someone else, even a police officer. Laura did not trust Robbie in the canoe and decided their important items were safer with Jesse Wilder. They set a time to meet at the end of the Eden River tributary, conveniently located right on the border with Canada.

Wilder steadied the canoe as Laura gingerly stepped in, still holding Robbie's hand. She sat in the front seat as Robbie climbed aboard and sat in the rear. Laura wanted to trade places but not as much as she did not want to stand up in the canoe so she stayed put. Wilder handed them each a paddle and they shoved off. "Just make sure not to steer yourselves over Eden Falls."

Robbie had learned some tricks from James and even Laura had to admit he did a fair job of steering. Periodically she would turn around to check and make sure she wasn't doing all the paddling.

"We wouldn't need to be doing this if we had arrived earlier, If we hadn't taken a day to go to Cadillac Mountain to see the sun rise..."

"Laura, that was important. If we hadn't stayed an extra day in New Hampshire..."

"Robbie, that was important."

Considering their history with canoes they got along swimmingly and arrived at the junction of Eden Falls and the small Eden River tributary that would take them to the border. Laura checked her watch. "We're at least 30 minutes ahead of schedule. He said not to get there too early. The security cameras identify lingerers and send alerts."

"Okay, let's rest. It sure is hot. I thought it would be nice and cool this far north."

"Cherie says it usually is. We got lucky to be here during one of their rare heat waves."

They brought the canoe to the shore and before stepping out into the cool ankle deep water, they took off their shoes and socks and left them in the boat.

Laura splashed Robbie with her foot.

Pulling the canoe to a spot between two rocks, they sat down beside it and looked out at the cascading water of Eden Falls. "Robbie, it's a good thing you steered the canoe in this direction instead of over the falls."

"Yeah, the way things have been going on this trip it wouldn't have been a surprise if that was our next scenic detour."

"At least the water would have been refreshing. I am hot after all that paddling."

"Too bad we don't have swimming costumes. We could have taken a swim. This water is so clear, you can see the small stones on the sandy bottom."

Laura gave Robbie a small push in his side. "We could still swim, even without bathing costumes."

"Laura, these are the only clothes we have until we get our things back from Sheriff Wilder."

"I wasn't planning on getting our clothes wet, Robbie."

Realization set in and Robbie raised his eyebrows. "I don't know."

"You wouldn't know fun if it jumped up and smacked you in the gob. I'll just roll up my jeans and get wet up to my knees then."

Robbie surveyed the area. "Why not? There's nobody around for miles." He lightly tapped her shoulder.

Before they could change their minds, they shed their clothes and stored them neatly in the canoe to keep them safe. Holding hands they ran into the water together until it came up to Laura's shoulders.

Back on shore, one of the rocks that anchored the canoe wasn't really a rock. It was a large turtle who was just waking up and preparing to go into the water and look for food.

A few minutes later a sudden movement caught Laura's attention. "Robbie look!"

He turned his head just in time to see the canoe pitch forward over Eden Falls.


	9. Chapter 9

"In the future Robbie, I would prefer it if you never built another canoe."

"Yeah, we don't seem to have much luck with them." Robbie was already trying to cover Laura up and they weren't even out of the water yet. "What are we going to do?"

"Sheriff Wilder should come looking for us when we don't show up at the border crossing." She started to shiver in the cold water. "Sorry Robbie, it was my idea to store our clothes in the canoe."

"No, it's my fault for not securing it properly." He could feel her shaking. "C'mon, you need to get out of this cold water and warm up in the sun. I'll find something to cover you up, or I'll do it myself."

As they walked out of the water Robbie surveyed the shore line. He saw some trees with leaf filled branches. "Can you wait a minute while I try and get some of these Maple tree branches. Are you too cold?"

Laura was half out of the water. "I'm okay for now, no sign of hypothermia. Those Maple trees have thick branches, perhaps you should try an Oak tree."

Robbie found it wasn't that easy to pull branches off trees but finally managed to combine a few small Oak branches into a cover. He and Laura leaned against a tree and covered their fronts with the leaves.

Robbie kept adjusting the leaves around Laura. "I suppose Sheriff Wilder has seen just about everything policing this area. It will be okay, him finding us."

Laura was finding the leaves were not very comfortable. "Yes, better him than someone else."

"Afternoon."

Earlier in the day, Fred had some fun giving Robbie questionable directions, then he got on his tractor to ted his hay. After two hours in the hot sun with his hay loosened up and starting to dry, he decided to drive a four wheeler across the short cut to visit his friend Armand and go fishing at their favorite spot, just upstream from Eden Falls. In addition to some very nice trout, when they moved closer to the falls, they also caught an inspector and a doctor.

Clad in the loaned fishing vests from the generously sized farmers, Robbie and Laura had some explaining to do when Jessie Wilder came to find them.

Back at the Wilder home, they again sat around the kitchen table discussing a new plan to get to the border. Armand's son's kayak was rejected in favor of Fred's small pontoon boot. The farmer was sent home to fetch it. Jessie Wilder's radio alerted him to an update about the escaped prisoners. As he listened to the local dispatcher on the police radio there was a knock at the door and he admitted Cpl. Jennifer Galloway. They spoke quietly on the front porch.

"Jesse, there's evidence that they broke into a hunting camp near here and found food, whiskey, and guns." After a few minutes Cpl. Galloway left to assist in the manhunt. Well, it wasn't just a manhunt.

Back inside the Sheriff reentered the kitchen. "All plans are off right now. The border is completely sealed. Every inch is going to be covered by a line of law enforcement including men, women, and dogs."

Robbie forgot about their quest and his copper's mind quickly shifted to the present emergency. "Are they dangerous?"

Yes. Harrie Gamlaw is a serial killer and master of manipulation. Sarah Loubon is in for attempted murder and she formed a relationship with Harrie while in prison."

Robbie was puzzled. "They put men and women together?"

"No, separate blocks but they both appeared to be model prisoners and earned extra privileges. I suspect some of the guards were bamboozled by Gamlaw, and Loubon, well she has very influential powers. It appears they have been allowed to meet privately every night for months, supposedly for sex. In reality they've been digging a tunnel together, one that led out of the prison and into the town's sewer system. The art therapist has been smuggling tools in for them with the paints and canvases. They exited to freedom through a manhole cover."

Laura was used to hearing police officers discuss the activity of criminals but she had never heard anything like this before. "It sounds more like a movie than real life."

Jesse Wilder frowned. "Real life is stranger then the movies. Those college graduates with their fancy degrees and psycho mumbo jumbo don't know the first thing about the criminal mind. Never trust someone who has committed murder and never let anyone get close enough to them in prison to form a relationship." He grabbed his hat off the table and bent down to kiss his wife. "I don't know when I'll be home. I don't know when any of us will be home."

Cherie Wilder watched her husband go out the door and under her breath whispered, "Be careful, Jesse."

* * *

Back in Oxford DS Lizzie Maddox was following the news of the North American prison escapees. DI Hathaway was tying up some loose ends with the RCMP. They had decided to confide in each other about their unauthorized overtime activities once they were sure.

* * *

Cherie Wilder never used to be so nervous when her husband was on a potentially dangerous mission. Now that he was nearing retirement she had a recurring dream that he would be killed in the line of duty, just days before he handed in his badge. To keep busy she insisted on making dinner for Robbie and Laura. She cleaned and then fried the trout left by Fred and Armand while Laura helped by making a salad with vegetables from the garden.

Over their early dinner, they told Cherie all about Laura's identity problem and how it was preventing them from marrying in Gretna Green. It took her mind off of Jesse for awhile.

Aware that her guests were exhausted from the day's events, Cherie Wilder got them set up in the guest room. She stayed awake most of the night sitting in a rocking chair, knitting, keeping her hands busy and trying not to let her mind wander into darkness. It didn't help that the heat wave was broken by a heavy thunderstorm. The rain and lightening would make the search for the escapees even more difficult and dangerous.

The next morning the storm was over. Robbie and Laura woke to find they had the house to themselves and a note from Cherie Wilder. She had left at dawn to organize coffee and breakfast for the law enforcement officers searching for the escaped inmates. They were to help themselves in the kitchen, coffee was keeping warm in the pot on the counter, bacon was in the refrigerator and the eggs were in the chicken coop.

Laura said she would start cooking the bacon if Robbie would go and collect some eggs. She handed him a basket. Robbie followed the sound of a rooster to the small outbuilding. He was relieved to find that he did not have to stick his hand under the chickens to get the eggs. The chickens were milling about the pen, some of them pushing open a small flap to enter the outdoor enclosure. He found eggs in 6 of the 8 nest boxes and brought them in to Laura.

After they ate and cleaned up the kitchen, they decided to go back to the center of town where the day before they saw a sign that said General Store. They bought some Darn Tough socks for Jack, clothes to replace what they lost in the canoe, and had some maple syrup shipped home. A refrigerated truck came to the store to deliver pints of the locally made and world famous ice cream. Robbie and Laura made arrangements for ice cream to be provided in the afternoon to the officers involved in the search. They bought a few pints to bring back to the home of Jesse and Cherie Wilder.

They found a few chores to do in the chicken coop and the garden, then sat down on the bank of the Eden River. A cold front followed last night's storm and moved in the area, dropping the air temperature 20 degrees lower than the day before. As they watched the river flow towards Canada they knew they would have to decide on their next move, maybe go to Boston after all. Their thoughts were interrupted by a woman's voice calling out, "Anyone home?"

They climbed up the hill to meet a woman dismounting from a bicycle and unpacking bags from the basket on the back. Her name was Harriet and she lived in the house down the road apiece.

"Cherie is going to be sick with worry about Jesse so I brought her some comfort food. I saw your car and figured someone was here." Robbie helped her carry in some food containers. "I made Shepherd's Pie and baked some fresh rolls." She lifted up a large jar. "This here is my homemade applesauce."

They thanked her and said they would make sure that Cherie ate when she got home. Harriet got back on her bike and rode away.

Cherie arrived home shortly after that and they did convince her to eat the comfort food, topped off with some ice cream. In between spoonfuls of Peanut Buttah, Cherie told them what little she could about the search and how the authorities were keeping a lid on the details, not wanting the escapees to learn anything helpful from news reports. The conversation drifted to Robbie and Laura's situation and how they did not want to do anything to get in the way and hinder the search.

Robbie voiced his uncertainty, "What should we do now?"

Cherie Wilder smiled. "Tonight Inspector Lewis and Dr. Hobson, we go to the opera."

Robbie and Laura stared at her.

Before she could explain the phone rang and Cherie quickly answered hoping it wasn't bad news about Jesse. Robbie and Laura couldn't help but listen to her side of the conversation. "I'm so sorry. Thanks Jake, I'll tell Jessie, and them." She nodded towards her guests.

"That was Jake, Jessie's cousin." She fought back tears. "Bev passed away last night. Thomas was holding her hand at the end." They had a moment of silence for Beverly Wilder. Cherie slowly raised her head. "Jake reminded me that they never caught the bastard driver that killed Emma and now Bev."

While Robbie and Laura cleaned up the kitchen Cherie called the box office of the local theatre. "I got us tickets to see the Fairy Queen tonight." Seeing their stunned expressions she said, "It's an opera. I thought you Brits went to the opera all the time."

Robbie smiled. "Oh we've heard of it. We just never got the chance to see it."

Laura looked down at her American jeans. "I'm afraid we don't have any proper clothes to wear to the opera."

"Oh you can go as you are here. We're not much for dressing up." She gave them both a onceover. "You'll attract less attention this way." She laughed. "And try not to talk much with those funny accents of yours." Seeing that they had no clue what she had in mind for them at the opera she told them, "I'll explain on the way."

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the delay. I hadn't meant to leave them in the water so long. I've been dealing with some unpleasant issues with my account over which the only recommended solution was to delete it. I decided to continue on with my story anyway. Thanks for your patience and continuing to read.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Mr. Hobsonfan and I had the pleasure of meeting the delightful MHC1987 recently at an establishment appropriately named the White Horse. I took the opportunity to thank her in person for her always insightful and enjoyable reviews. It was the best impromptu writing conference with a Prof that I've ever had. She is a talented wordsmith and should be the one writing stories.**

* * *

Laura quickly packed a few essentials into an over the shoulder bag borrowed from Cherie while Robbie stuffed the pockets of his jeans with their ids, money, and a list of phone numbers with Cherie Wilder's Canadian relatives. As Cherie drove them to the opera house in her old SAAB she explained that the building straddled the US and Canadian borders. For almost one hundred years, American and Canadian citizens freely entered and exited the theatre on both sides. The audience sat in the US while the actors performed from Canada. Since 9/11 there were border patrol agents who made sure you exited to the same country you entered from.

"All this security is really such a nuisance. People on both sides of the border belong to the same clubs. Our schools share sports venues." Cherie waved her arm from north to south. "The Canadian students come over here to use the basketball court while our kids use their hockey rink. I was born in Canada and have dual citizenship. Once they close the last camera crossing it could take me hours to get through a border station to go visit my brother, just 5 miles from here."

Laura saw the opera house ahead, a Victorian style building with a grey granite exterior. People parked along the side streets, American cars pointed north, Canadian cars pointed south. Cherie Wilder found a spot behind an old pickup truck.

They walked the short distance to the American front door and once inside saw a delightful entry hall with a two sided fireplace faced by sofas. The acoustics of the theatre were accentuated by the tin roof and the stained glass windows gave the inside a reverent glow. An usher clad in a red flannel shirt showed them to their seats in the balcony. Cherie pointed to a blue line that could be seen separating the 10 piece orchestra from the stage. "That's the border dividing the US from Canada. It runs throughout the building."

Robbie and Laura were more than pleasantly surprised at the heart stopping performance delivered by all local actors. For the most part the text was spoken although none of Shakespeare's actual words for A Midsummer's Night's Dream were used. The rare songs, one solo each from a soprano, tenor, and baritone were very well done. The amateurs, while not all wearing traditional costumes, ably filled the stage with nymphs, shepherds, a Chinese man and woman, the God of Marriage, the four seasons and even a dance of monkeys.

Cherie whispered, "It's not really an opera; It's a play with songs and disguises. "She pointed out two in particular, Winter, a man in a Baxter State parka, and Spring, a woman in an Land's End rain slicker. "You are going to wear their costumes." She explained that her cousin Denis and his wife Annette, who were conveniently the same sizes as Robbie and Laura, wore their costumes to the theatre and made sure they were spotted by the border patrol agents. Robbie and Laura would put the large coats on over their American jeans and exit the stage into Canada.

Robbie and Laura spent some time thinking backwards instead of forward, to the time they almost went to see the Faerie Queen in Glyndebourne. While this was not the same opulent experience it was one they would never forget. They held hands throughout the performance breaking apart only to join in the applause.

The curtain fell after the final shouts of 'Bravo' and 'Awesome'. The lights brightened as Cherie led Robbie and Laura down to the dressing rooms, still on the American side of the border. There they donned the winter parka and spring raincoat. After Robbie and Laura were safely across the border, Denis and Annette would say they left their costumes in the theatre and use their Canadian passports if needed to get back home.

They walked down the hallway towards the backstage area where they would go out the main Canadian exit. As they passed the back entry hall where some of the theatre goers were having refreshments and getting autographs of the stars, a couple broke away from the crowd and hurriedly walked past them. Laura had caught a quick look at them as they smashed into her.

She pulled Robbie's arm and motioned to him with her hand. He bent down. "Robbie, the couple that just went by us, there are wearing our clothes from the canoe."

Robbie immediately asked Cherie Wilder to call her husband. Unbeknownst to them Sheriff Jesse Wilder had been at the theatre all evening, positioned in one of the alcoves that had a good view of the side exits. The phone call from his wife brought him out of his hiding place and face to face with the couple wearing Robbie and Laura's clothes.

He ordered them, "Hold it right there!" They turned and headed towards one of the exit doors as Jesse reached for his tazer. Instead of continuing to flee, Harrie Gamlaw spun around with a gun pointed at the Sheriff when just in time Inspector Robbie Lewis grabbed the escapee's arm and the bullet went straight up and into the tin ceiling. While the reverberating echo from the bullet resonated throughout the theatre, Gamlaw grabbed Laura and stuck his gun in her ribs. He told Robbie and Jessie that if they didn't back off, he would kill her.

Robbie and Jesse were saved from having to make a difficult decision when another shot rang out, this one from the gun of Cpl. Jennifer Galloway, disguised as the Chinese woman from Act 5. Gamlaw grimaced in pain as the expertly fired shot hit him in the shoulder and caused him to release his gun.

As Robbie pulled Laura to safety and Jesse subdued the man, another officer had his sights set on the female of the pair who was attempting to open an emergency exit door. Sgt. Maxwell (one of the dancing monkeys) lunged at the woman. Hearing the dog approach, she fired at him.

"Max!" Cpl. Galloway raced to her partner's side as the back of Laura's Maine Lobster Boat T-shirt disappeared out onto a dark Canadian street.

Seconds later border patrol agents arrived on the scene but when they got outside to Canada there was no sign of the female escapee.

Laura was saved from having to choose between doctoring the human and canine shooting victims as the part of the Fairy Queen's drunken poet was played by the local veterinarian. Gamlaw was carried to an area backstage where Laura had room to work on the patient who just minutes ago wanted to murder her. As she sat on the floor and stopped the blood spurting from the felon's shoulder, her right leg stretched north and her foot just barely strayed over the blue line onto the Canadian side.

The two doctors worked on the two patients, one from each side of the law.

"Sorry Jesse, I took my eyes off Sarah to see to Max."

"It's okay Jenny. At least we got Harrie. And you saved Dr. Hobson's life."

"And Inspector Lewis saved yours."

A brief discussion ensued between the law enforcement officers, Wilder, Galloway, and Lewis, where they decided upon version of the incident would give Sgt. Maxwell credit for saving both Jesse and Laura, and for capturing Gamlaw. Cpl. Galloway said that Max had tracked him to the theatre. The other police dogs in the search had been put off the scent by the pepper laid done by the escapees. Sgt. Maxwell would be hailed a hero, just hopefully not posthumously.

The drunken poet set down his tools, took out his handkerchief and wiped his brow. "I'm afraid Max's career is over. He'll live but he's going to lose his right front leg so he'll be forced into retirement."

Jenny Galloway was so relieved Max would survive she didn't care about his retirement. "He'll have a home with me although I'll expect him to have dinner on the table every night." They all laughed for the first time in a long time. She stroked his fur. "Max always favored his left front paw so he'll get along fine without the right one, won't you boy."

Robbie stood as close to Laura as possible while she worked on Harrie Gamlaw. When the emergency medical crew arrived she informed them of his condition and stepped back just far enough to let them do their jobs. This was still her patient.

When her medical duties were over Robbie was going to tell her that they could not go through with the plan to disguise themselves and cross the border. They were in the middle of a police investigation where one escapee was wounded and captured and another was still on the loose. He hoped she would understand. They would have to find another way into Canada.

Laura stayed with her patient while he was put on a stretcher and carried out to the ambulance. Robbie followed right behind her.

After they got out onto the street and Gamlaw was loaded into an ambulance a man in uniform approached them, "Inspector Lewis, Dr. Hobson, if you would get in the car please," and opened the door of a police vehicle. They didn't notice the man's slight accent and assumed they were needed to give statements. After they sat down in the back seat, the officer behind the wheel turned around and said "Bienvenue au Canada".

The closest hospital to the theatre was in Canada so it was a Canadian ambulance that pulled up outside the Canadian entrance of the opera house. Laura followed her patient across the border.

The car's engine started and after a second officer got in the front passenger seat, they pulled away from the curb.

After driving a stunned Robbie and Laura north for a few minutes, they stopped at a light and the driver turned around and said with a smile, "Autre que le tournage, comment était l'opéra Madame Lewis?"*

The other officer, the one who opened the door for them ushering them into the car (later they would find out he was Cherie Wilder's brother), whispered something in French to his partner.

Finding out that 'Madame Lewis' was a bit premature, he amended it, "Excusez-moi, Docteur Hobson."

Laura was not offended. She liked the sound of Mrs. Lewis although she would always be Dr. Hobson professionally. And she had a much better time at the opera than Mrs. Lincoln had at Ford's theatre.

They were driven all the way to Montreal, giving their statements about the ordeal at the opera house on the way. Finding that the good people of Montreal were bilingual, Robbie and Laura had no trouble finding a lovely auberge for the night and first thing in the morning, the right train to Canada's capital city.

After arriving in Ottawa and taking a short taxi ride to the police station on Bank Street, Laura had her fingerprints taken and gave them a DNA sample. The fingerprint evidence alone quickly established that she was the innocent Laura Hobson and her passport was embedded with a microchip that could be scanned at border crossings to prove her identity. As they walked out of the police station Laura heaved a sigh of relief and for the first time took a look at the city of Ottawa.

"This is a beautiful city."

Robbie had picked up some brochures at the train station. "Maybe we could come here after the wedding. There's a quote from a happy honeymooner in this." He showed her the written testimonial.

"I'm sure it would be a great place for a honeymoon but I have a better idea."

Robbie nodded. Of course. Laura had her heart set on a honeymoon in Italy. And he had his heart set on Laura. He grabbed her waist and lifted her up in the air. They giggled while circling around until Robbie set her down on a partially occupied bus stop bench. There she had the height advantage and leaned down to kiss him. The overly polite Canadians waiting for the bus pretended not to notice.

At last they had found the way to Gretna Green. Now there would be no more detours.

* * *

Back in Oxford DI James Hathaway was talking to someone from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. "Sean Allen?" Yes, I know him." He stopped talking when his Sergeant entered the office. "I'll call you back."

DS Lizzie Maddox told her boss she had something to tell him. It was time for them to confide in each other.

* * *

 ***Apologies to the readers and Mrs. Lincoln.**

 **Next stop: Gretna Green! I have to admit that other than tying up some loose ends I haven't made much progress on the next chapter. I didn't even plan my own wedding so I may need some suggestions and extra time.**


	11. Chapter 11

"Good work, Maddox."

"Thank-you, sir."

DS Lizzie Maddox was afraid her boss was going to admonish her for sticking her nose somewhere it did not belong. On the contrary, DI Hathaway was impressed with her initiative and was rather embarrassed he hadn't thought to do it himself.

"So you'll be going to Gretna Green with us then."

"I wasn't invited to the wedding sir."

"No need. You'll be on official police business."

* * *

"Are you sure about this James?"

"Absolutely sure, Ma'am."

Jean Innocent heaved a sigh. This was not news she wanted Robbie to hear this close to his wedding day.

"I don't know how to tell him, and when."

"You will figure it out. Your relationship with Robbie has been tested to the breaking point before and survived."

"Ma'am." James stood up and returned his chair to its place at the conference table.

"Good luck". She spoke to his back as he exited her office.

James stopped and turned around. "Pick you up at 8 Friday morning to go to Gretna Green?" He arranged his face. "You are still going with me?"

"I wouldn't miss it for the world."

* * *

Robbie and Laura arrived in Scotland 2 days before their wedding day allowing time for any unforeseen travel difficulties. Following a route they marked out on a map and engaging the car's GPS system, it took them just 5 uneventful hours to drive to Gretna Green from Oxford. They visited the registrar's office to double check that all the paperwork was in order and were assured that everything was official.

They checked into their hotel and were shown to the third floor tower suite. The sitting room had a turret window overlooking a waterfall. Laura carefully hung the her garment bag in the wardrobe. She bought her wedding dress at a vintage shop, finding a restored antique gown originally made in 1900, the year her great-grandmother married in Gretna Green. Robbie had not seen the dress. He only knew that Laura was very pleased with her find and wanted to surprise him with it.

They spent a lovely night together in The Lover's Leap hotel. Their family and friends would arrive the next day and on the night before the wedding they would bow to tradition and sleep in separate rooms. Robbie would share with his grandson Jack while Laura said she wouldn't mind being on her own before the big day. Ellen Jacoby was supposed to come and stay with her and be her maid of honor but true to form her friend cancelled at the last minute with a phone message about chasing after yet another unsuitable man. Not for the first time Robbie wondered how they stayed friends all these years.

In the morning Robbie had an errand to do involving a surprise Lyn had helped him arrange. After that they were going to make the 80 minute drive to Newcastle where Robbie planned to show Laura where he grew up and see some of his old stomping grounds. When they returned in the evening they would meet up with their friends and family for drinks in the hotel pub.

The trip to Newcastle was a success. Robbie showed her the house he lived in for most of his childhood, the car park that once was the site of his school, and they were pleasantly surprised to find one of his favorite pubs still open for business and they had a late lunch there before driving back to Gretna Green. On the trip back they laughed about all the problems they had travelling in North America and decided if they could survive that then marriage would be no problem. There weren't any pre-wedding jitters as they calmly went over the plans for the next day to marry in Gretna Green's Famous Blacksmith Shop. As the site had been hosting weddings since 1712, Robbie and Laura expected it would go off without a hitch.

They returned to the hotel and learned from the desk clerk that most of their wedding guests had already checked into the hotel. Stopping briefly in their third floor suite, Robbie took his suitcase to the second floor room he would share with Jack that night. Laura said she was going to go for a swim in the hotel pool before joining the female wedding guests in the outdoor cafe. Robbie said he would have a shower and join the male guests in the pub.

Before leaving her room for the pool Laura decided she would return Ellen's call and tell her friend she would forgive her for not coming to the wedding.

* * *

DS Lizzie Maddox found a spot where she could stay out of sight and monitor the swimming pool. She felt like a voyeur watching Laura Hobson swim laps for almost an hour. Lizzie was getting a crick in her neck from ducking below some tree branches and was happy when her quarry got out of the pool and grabbed her towel. Lizzie watched as Laura swung her head from side to side as if to shake the water out of her hair.

* * *

Robbie's daughter Lyn and her son Jack sat in the outdoor cafe having ice cream and were soon joined by Jean Innocent and Laura's sister-in-law Carole and niece Caroline. In the pub Robbie was buying drinks for James, Lyn's partner Tim, Laura's brother Brad and nephew Brian.

Robbie's phone buzzed. Laura had sent him a text message. He frowned as he read it. Then he motioned for James to come with him to buy another round of drinks.

As soon as they were out of earshot of the others James asked, "Problem?"

"This text from Laura. She's changed her mind about us being apart tonight, wants me to come up to our room. We agreed and Jack was excited about us sharing."

"I know she finds you irresistible but it's not like her to disappoint the boy."

"It must be pre-wedding jitters." Robbie tried calling her but Laura didn't pick up. He sent her a text back with an apology saying that he was on his way to get Jack and call it a night, that he loved her and would see her at the Blacksmith's Shop in the morning.

Jack quickly finished his ice cream when he saw Robbie coming to get him for their boys night together. He planned to teach his grandfather how to play some video games and then watch a movie about football. Lyn had packed a bag of snacks to sustain them for the night. Robbie would meet up with Lyn and Tim in the morning in time for them to all have breakfast together and then get dressed for the wedding.

With another text message, this one to Lyn, Laura cancelled her night with the women claiming a headache so Jean, Lyn, Carole, and Caroline went to join the men in the pub for a drink before they all called it a night.

* * *

The next morning the sun shone gloriously as Gretna Green's Famous Blacksmith Shop hosted one of the finest wedding parties of men in kilts they had ever seen, from wee Jack, to Tim, Brad, Brian, James and Robbie all clad in the yellow, black, and red tartan known as the MacLeod of Lewis. This was Robbie's surprise for Laura.

For his part Robbie had the pleasure of seeing Laura's cream coloured lace wedding dress for the first time as his bride entered the Original Marriage Room while the men waited at the anvil, much like the one used in the 1700s by the Blacksmith Priest who married runaways. The dress had a deep royal blue floral pattern underneath the hand sewn lace. All their plans were coming together to this very special moment.

As Laura walked towards the anvil James felt his leg vibrate. He surreptitiously looked down at his partially concealed phone. Then DI Hathaway leapt forward and tackled the bride.


	12. Chapter 12

Ellen Jacoby struggled to regain consciousness in a hospital bed in Scotland. She had been bashed on the head with enough force to kill most people but Ellen had an unusually thick skull. For the second time in her life it was tested. She tried to focus and listen as a nurse gently explained to her what happened.

* * *

DS Lizzie Maddox and two local constables had all the exits of Gretna Green's Famous Blacksmith Shop covered. They were under orders not to allow Laura Hobson to escape.

Inside the Blacksmith Shop the shocked wedding guests watched in horror as all the men in Laura's life, Robbie, Brad, Brian, and Tim piled on James to get him away from the bride. Lyn pulled Jack away from the melee.

DS Maddox opened the main door to admit someone wearing a T-shirt that said 'Will trade husband for tractor'.

"Robbie, I'm here."

Immediately recognizing the voice Robbie lifted his head from the scrum around James. "Laura?!" He rushed to Laura and protectively threw his arms around her.

Bradley Hobson also recognized the voice and stared at his sister then turned back to the woman trying to wriggle free from James. He pointed at the bride. "Who is that then?"

James had handcuffed the woman. "She is Laura Hobson, also known as Sarah Loubon."

The two local constables and Lizzie led one Laura Hobson away while the other took her place next to the groom. Dressed in her souvenir Vermont T-shirt and jeans instead of her vintage wedding gown Laura said "I do" to Robbie as each promised to love, honour, and cherish the other. No one in the room dared suggest the wedding be postponed. It seemed the whole world had been waiting for this moment and no one, not even the wrong Laura Hobson, was going to prevent them from marrying.

DS Lizzie Maddox re-entered the Blacksmith Shop just after the vows were exchanged. Laura asked that she give a brief account of the events leading up to the ceremony. Lizzie addressed the group and told them the facts so far.

The Canadian Laura Hobson, suspected murderer of three husbands, went to the United States after her acquittals on all charges. She changed her name to Sarah Loubon and got a job at a funeral home doing the makeup for corpses. When the owner of the funeral home refused to marry her, he was murdered. Sarah Loubon was charged and convicted of the crime.

During her time in prison Sarah Loubon spent hours in the library using the computer where she discovered there was another Laura Hobson, a successful pathologist in Oxford England. She became obsessed with her alter ego and vowed to escape and kill the other Laura Hobson and take her place. In jail she befriended serial killer Harrie Gamlaw who it turned out had a grudge against Detective Inspector Robbie Lewis for the arrest of his brother. Together they plotted their escape not knowing how close Robbie and Laura were to them at the time. Harrie Gamlaw was wounded and captured at the international opera house while Sarah Loubon continued on with her plan.

When DS Maddox heard about the other Laura Hobson from her American friend, Lt. Jacob Wilder, she decided to investigate her. Fearing disapproval from her boss, she kept quiet about it until discovering that Laura aka Sarah was on her way to Gretna Green. Professionally Sarah was a makeup artist and was an expert at disguise. She made herself out to look like Dr. Laura Hobson, the object of her obsession. Maddox arrived in Gretna Green and located both Laura Hobsons. She couldn't tell them apart until the day she saw one of them get out of the swimming pool and shake her head as if she had long hair. From her research Lizzie knew that just before her escape from prison Sarah Loubon had cut her long hair. Then Lizzie had to find out what happened to Dr. Laura Hobson. She kept her boss, DI Hathaway informed and he posed as a member of the wedding party all the while on alert until given the confirmation from Lizzie that it was time to act.

Laura told the next part of the story.

"Before I changed into my bathing suit, I phoned Ellen to tell her she was forgiven for not showing up for the wedding. When she answered I could tell right away something was wrong, that she was trying really hard to remain calm when in fact she was terrified. Sarah Loubon (Laura could not bring herself to call that woman Laura Hobson) was holding her hostage and told her to cancel so that I would be alone in my room." Laura paused.

Robbie could sense that a painful memory was about to resurface. "Go on luv." He squeezed her hand.

"Ellen said that she was running off to meet Peter Hawkins, that there was a second chance for a relationship." No one spoke as Laura continued. "Now Ellen may be something of a fly by night but even she is rational enough to know that Peter Hawkins is dead. I knew it was a warning of some kind. Then the call was disconnected." She looked at Robbie. "I was just about to call you when Sarah Loubon forced her way into our room. She tried to strangle me. Fortunately I know more about corpses than she does. I let her think she murdered me and went limp. Then she stuffed my body into the wardrobe." Laura had remained calm telling the story until now. "That's when I panicked and passed out, there in the small dark space."

Robbie gently put his arms around her. He knew about her claustrophobia. "Are you okay Laura?"

She ignored his real concern. "Yes, see, hyoid intact." She placed his hand on her neck where he noticed the bruising and was careful not to press hard. "I was in that wardrobe until Lizzie rescued me. I refused any medical attention and insisted on coming straight here."

Laura got up and went over to Lizzie and hugged her. "Thank-you for saving our wedding day."

Robbie gave Lizzie an even bigger hug. "Lizzie, how did you make the connection between Laura Hobson and Sarah Loubon?"

"I knew there was something I was missing. Then I did what you often do on a case. I decided to think like Morse."

Robbie grinned. "You went to the pub and did a crossword?"

James gave his sergeant the credit she deserved. "Unlike me, she has been paying attention when you talk about your old mentor. Turns out it was a simple anagram, one that the rest of us did not see." James went to kiss Laura on the check and give her a brief hug. "I asked Lizzie not to tell you her suspicions and that we would handle keeping you safe. I'm sorry for that. We almost lost you and that was my fault."

Laura took his hand. "It's okay James. No one has done more to get Robbie and I together and keep us together. Now we have Lizzie looking out for us too. We are going to get our happy ending."

* * *

A wedding luncheon of Scottish kiln smoked salmon and prime sirloin steak was served in the private dining room at the Lover's Leap Hotel. As Robbie and Laura entered the room hand in hand the small group of guests stood and applauded. The newly married couple smiled until they were momentarily stunned by another surprise. The food for the meal was to served out of a canoe. Lyn saw their expressions and quickly explained that it was Jack's idea, that his scout group had done that at a recent picnic. The metal canoe kept the cold food cold and the hot food hot.

Robbie remembered the last time it was suggested his dinner be served in a canoe and was worried about Laura's reaction.

"I love it!" Laura hugged Jack. "This will be a meal to remember."

As Robbie and Laura and their guests were finishing their cake, a tall, broad shouldered man entered the dining room and scanned the tables. He saw Robbie and waved.

James asked. "Who is that?"

Robbie studied the man's face. "I'm not sure."

"He appears to know you."

"I mean I don't know if he is Jacob or Thomas Wilder."

"The American cops?"

"Yeah, the twins we met in Maine and New Hampshire."

As the man got closer Robbie saw the relaxed genial face and decided it must be Jake who shook his hand and congratulated him on his wedding.

"Sorry Jake, I don't mean to be rude, but why are you here?"

"I'm Thomas, not Jake. I apologize for crashing your wedding. I'm really here to speak to Detective Inspector Hathaway."

Robbie introduced Thomas to James.

Thomas held out his hand. "Inspector Hathaway, I came all the way from New Hampshire to shake your hand. Lizzie told me where to find you."

James shook hands with Thomas Wilder. He hadn't wanted this to happen on Robbie's wedding day.

Robbie was puzzled then all of a sudden an idea struck him. He nearly gasped as he said the name, "Monkford."

James nodded. "Yes, Simon Monkford, otherwise known as Sean Allen. He drove the car that killed Emma Wilder and injured her mother in Montreal."

"How did you make the connection?"

"When I interviewed Simon Monkford after his scam at the Randolph and discovered he was responsible for the accident that took the life of your first wife I asked him what his life in Canada was like. He answered that it was pretty much the same as in England. I suspected that meant something and when you told me about Thomas Wilder's wife and daughter I remembered it and investigated. I found that Monkford went to Montreal before settling in Toronto."

Thomas Wilder had not known about the connection to Valerie Lewis and now wished he had waited for James to return to Oxford rather than tracking him down at Robbie's wedding to Laura. He quickly changed the subject by asking the bride and groom to step outside so he could present them with a wedding gift from their American friends.

Robbie, Laura, and their guests followed Thomas outside where adorned by a giant bow was a handcrafted canoe. Robbie and Laura weren't quick enough to disguise their shocked expressions. Thomas listened as Lizzie whispered something in his ear.

"Darn that cousin of mine. Jesse said this would be the perfect gift. Howard, who you met in Maine at airport has been making canoes ever since he retired. You won't find a better made canoe anywhere in the world. He uses a special waterproof glue made from the sap of Maine pine trees."

Laura unexpectedly jumped in with a gush of thanks. "We'll take our Jack out it in!" Jack began jumping up and down in his excitement over the gift.

Thomas exhaled a sigh of relief and showed them the signatures of their American friends written on various sections of the canoe. They were all there, Howard, Marge, Jake, Melissa, Thomas, Jesse, Cherie, Dahlia, Jennifer, Fred and Armand, and a paw print from Max.

Thomas pulled a package out of the canoe. "Cherie sent this as a backup gift. I guess she knows Jesse better than anyone. Laura unwrapped a lovely Autumn Harvest Maple Leaf quilt made by the Amish sisters Sadie and Katie.

"Thank-you, it's lovely." She kissed Thomas on the cheek. "Our American friends played an important part in our journey to Gretna Green. We will never forget your kindness."

Robbie inspected the canoe and raised his eyebrows. "How did you ever get it here from the states?"

"Easy, Jesse put it in a crate marked 'Official Police Business'." Everyone laughed.

* * *

Laura, James, and Lizzie spent the afternoon completing reports and statements about the events caused by the presence of the other Laura Hobson. Robbie never left Laura's side and not for the first time felt like the luckiest man in the world. He did insist she see the local doctor and she did not argue with him.

That evening there was a final dinner of roast lamb with their family and friends as the next day everyone would be going home. Robbie had let Laura plan the honeymoon and expected that they would be leaving for Italy in the morning. Instead she surprised him with plane tickets to Australia where they would visit Robbie's son Ken and his partner Ryan. From there they would embark on a cruise to New Zealand. Laura had taken more time off from work than Robbie knew. He had already decided to take a break from the police force to spend more time with her before deciding whether or not to renew his consulting contract and only if she approved.

After dinner everyone began making their excuses for an early night as they knew that Robbie and Laura would want to be alone. Two of the guests were not tired.

Thomas Wilder leaned forward and reached across the table to touch Jean Innocent's arm and spoke quietly. "Would you join me for a drink? It's still afternoon New Hampshire time and I can't fake being tired." He hadn't taken his eyes off her since they met earlier.

Jean surveyed the tall, handsome man whose formerly sad eyes now twinkled with delight."

"Thank-you Thomas, I'd love to."

"Please, call me Tom."

* * *

Upstairs in the third floor tower suite a breathless Robbie whispered into Laura's ear. "I know you said you would still want to be called Dr. Hobson after the wedding. Will you allow me to call you Dr. Lewis just for tonight?"

Breathless as well, she answered, "You can call me that every night from now on, Robbie."

* * *

 **A/N: Even though it took me some time to get it written, I knew from the beginning how I wanted this story to end. Thank-you to everyone who read, commented, and sent messages along the way. I'll be taking a break now. I do have more story ideas and may come back with them if there is still interest in Robbie and Laura now that the series has ended. I hope you all enjoy peace, happiness, and good health as we head into the holiday season.**

 **Happy Trails!**


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